Baler and reduction gear therefor



Nov. 22, 1949 s. D. RUSSELL 2,489,193

` BALER AND REDUCTION GEAR THEREFOR original Filed April 19, 1941 Mmm' II-I n w l MM NN N ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 22, 1949 BALER AND REDUCTION GEAR THEREFOR Stanley D. Russell, Racine, Wis., assignor to J. I.

Case Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation Original application April 19, 1941, Serial No.

389,396, now Patent No. 2,362,861, dated November 14, 1944. Divided and this application November 11, 1944, Serial No. 563,039

` 6 Claims.

"The present invention relates to balers and an Y object thereof is to generally improve the construction and operation of machines of this class.

A further object is to provide such a machine of larger capacity, lighter weight and lower cost than similar machines of comparable dimensions heretofore known. A further object is to provide improved gear reduction means for a baler. Further objects will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing whichshows a Aplan view of a portion of a baling mechanism sufficient to illustrate the invention, the mechanism being in part in horizontal section on the axis of the main actuating shafts, similar reference characters having been applied to the same parts throughout this drawing and the specification. The machine of the present invention is generally similar to that shown and `described in co-pending Patent No. 2,362,861,

issuedNovember 14, 1944 of which this application is a division.

As seen in the drawing, the illustrative machine includes a baler including a baling chamber made up in any suitable and well-known manner as for example from angle irons and 6 to which are connected side plates 1 and 8 and a bottom plate 9, it bei-ng understood that other angle irons and a top plate, not shown, complete a box-like inclosure generally designated as lil in the manner fully disclosed in the above identif fied co-pending Patent No. 2,362,861. The several angle irons and plates constitute the foundation for the reduction gear to be described and form a chamber for reciprocation of a plunger generally designated as II.

The mechanism is driven in the first instance from any suitable prime mover, not shown, by means of a belt I2 engaging a ywheel generally designated as I3 and having a rim portion I4, spokes or arms l5 and a hub I6. Flywheel `I3 is ixed on a shaft I1 through which it drives baling plunger I I as will appear.

Shaft I1 constitutes the main input shaft of the above referred to reduction gear designated as a whole by numeral I8 for driving a crank shaft generally designated as I9. A plate or housing portion 20 is suitably fixed with angle iron 5 for supporting shafts I1 and I 9 and a plate 2I` is suitably fixed with angle iron 6 for further supporting crank shaft I9, these plates supporting the parts against the very considerable stresses developed by a baling operation. Plate 20 has an aperture 22 in which is secured by a ange .23 a bearing 24 which may be fitted with a bushing '25 or other friction reducing element.

Bearing 24 is secured in place by one or more bolts as 26 and 21, bolt 21 engaging a flange portion 28 of a housing 29 which abuts plate 20, a suitable gasket being interposed if desired. Other bolts as 39 serve to maintain the housing solidly in place. Housing 29 includes a boss or bearing portion 3| provided with a bushing 32 or other suitable friction reducing means. Shaft I1 is therefore journaled in bushings 2-5 and 32 and accordingly well supported for rotation in housing 29.

Shaft I1 includes a portion 33 which may be tapered or otherwise adapted for iiywheel hub IE, and journaled portions 34 and 35 for support in the respective bearings, journals 34 and 35 being spaced by a gear or pinion 36. Pinion 36 in the present instance meshes with and drives a ring gear 31 within housing 29, gear 31 being fixed as by bolts 38-38 with a flange ogr adapter 39 forming part of above mentioned crank shaft I9. Crank shaft I9 includes said iiange or adapter, a journal portion 40, a crank arm 4I, a crank pin portion 42, a crank arm 43 and a journal portion 44. Journal portion 40 is carried in a bearing generally designated as and fixed in an aperture 45 in above mentioned plate 20. However, in order to be able to assemble the parts, bearing 45 comprises separable sections 41 and 48 joined as by anges 49 and 50, united by suitable bolts or the like 5I. Portions 41 and 48 are provided with flanges as 52 and 53 fixed with Plate 20 as by bolts I54.

With the structure described, it is possible with housing 29 removed from plate 20 to pass journal portion 44, arm 43, pin 42, arm 4I and bearing 45 through aperture 46 into place in plate 20, after which housing 29 may be applied and shaft I1 and bearing 24 assembled with the housing. These associated parts constitute a reduction gear which may operate in a bath of oil retained by housing 29, the housing also serving to exclude dirt or other deleterious material from the gear. Incidentally, ring gear 31 may be chosen from productionv items manufactured in quantity for other purposes, such for example as tractor main drive gears, this resulting in the availability for a relatively inexpensive machine, such as a baler, of a very high quality gear. Pinion 36 may be readily and inexpensively cut on shaft I1 by well-known methods.

In View of this construction, it will be evident that a crank can be used having a throw considerably in access of the diameter of gear 31 which is not the case in conventional construction wherein two large gears connected by a pin an aperture 53 in plate 2l and may have bushings 5d and E@ or other suitable friction reducing elements. Plate 2l is secured to angle iron 6 in any suitable manner as by bolts Si.

Crank pin portion 421carries and actuates a pitman 62 having a bearing portion 63 in the present instance fitting with a cap 54 maintained against the bearing as by a flange G5 secured by one or more bolts 65. Pitman t2 at its opposite end has a bearing 6l engaged with a wrist pin 68 carried in brackets 63 and 'it xed with or constituting part of plunger ii. Rotation of crank 4l accordingly will cause reciprocating mo-` tion of plunger Il as will be apparent.

P-lunger Il comprises a box-like element including a head or end wall ll, a bottom wall I2, a top wall 73 and a side wall ld. Brackets E59 and l!) are fastened as by welding within wall 'il and have split clamps 'l5 suitably fastened thereto for holding wrist pin et. Reinforcing plates 76 and l1 are interposed between brackets Eid and 'lll and end wall li. The very `considerable force developed by pitman G2 is accordingly transmitted directly to end Wall 'SI in the best possible manner.

Lower plate 9 of baling chamber if! is notched as at 18 to provide clearance for pitman 62.

At the juncture between end wall 7| and side Wall le, reinforcing bars or plates 'i9 and 8G are interposed and fastened in any suitable manner and a knife or cutting means 8| is mounted on the plunger at this point and retained as for example by screws 32. Reinforcing bars 'i9 and 80 serve to support the plunger against distortion by reaction against knife 8l.

To hold plunger Il in proper relation to baling chamber It, plunger Il has a side wall 83, Walls 83 and "M being of` substantial length, but side wall ifi extends forwardly Vof plunger Il substantially further than wall 83 for covering a feed opening in a manner fully set forth in the above mentioned vco-pending Patent No. 2,362,861. Wall lll is reinforced by an extension ed of an upper wall 85, a similar lower extension 86 serving also to support Wall lll. Wall 'i4 is held in suitable sliding relation to angle iron 6 by pressure exerting guiding means generally designated as 81 and which in the present instance comprises a block 3B- of suitable material such as oil impregnated wood. In` the present instance, block 88 is held in Contactk with end wall 'll by bolts 89 traversing slotted openings 90 and engaging a plate 9i through which block 88 is clamped in engagement with end wall 7l. Block 38 is urged 'by a screw. S2, threaded into bracket 69, through a suitable opening in side wall 83 into Contact with plate l, the reaction of block 88 maintaining wall It in position relative to plate 8 and also maintaining knife 8| in proper relation to its companion abutment means not shown. A similarguiding means is preferably provided adjacent the front end of plunger Il. In Veach instance the block is preferably arranged with the end gra-in in contact with the guiding surface.

Plunger Il is supported for sliding movement and guided generally in its reciprocations in chamber lil by suitable or Well-known manner such for example as sliding blocks 93 and 94, while close adjustment of the path of travel may be effected by adjusting block 88.

In the event that plunger Il encounters a solid object of any kind, a safety expedient is provided in that portion 33 of shaft l1, provided with a key G5 through which it is driven by hub It of iiywheel i3. In the present instance key 95 is made of a soft material such for example as an aluminum alloy, the proportions being so chosen that the key will shear if anything obstructs the progress of plunger H and the loads build up to a predetermined maximum. It is a simple matter to renew the soft metal key and continue operation after the obstruction is removed.

The above being a complete description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a driving train for a baler having a baling chamber and a plunger, an oiltight casing supported on the baling chamber, a driving shaft journaled in the casing, a driven shaft journaled in the casing and having a crank externally of the casing having a throw in excess of the size of said casing and being connected for actuating the plunger, said driven shaft being enlarged to the form of a flange located Within the casing, a ring gear fixed with the flange, and a gear on the driving shaft within the casing in driving engagement with the ring gear.

2. In a driving train for a baler having a baling chamber and a plunger reciprocable in the chamber, a casing mounted on the baling chamber, a driving shaft journaled in the casing, a driven shaft journaled in thecasing and having a crank externally of the casing and connected for actuating the plunger, said driven shaft being enlarged to form an integral flange on the driven shaft located within the casing, a ring gear fixed with the flange, and a gear on the driving shaft within the casing in driving engagement with the ring gear.

3. In a driving gear for a baler having a baling chamber and a plunger slidable therein, a drive shaft and a driven shaft, a gear on one of said shafts, a bearing plate carried by the baling chamber and disposed for supporting said shafts, one of said shafts having a flange, a crank throw spaced from the flange and connected for sliding said plunger and a journal portion interposed between said crank throw and said flange, a separable bearing engaged with the journal portion and supported from said plate, a ring gear separate from said flange and xe'd therewith in driving relation with the first mentioned gear, and a housing fixed with said plate enclosing said gears.

4. In a baler, including a baling chamber, the combination of a housing portion secured to one side of the baling chamber, and providing an aperture for the reception of a crank shaft, a. crank shaft supported in the housing portion, a separable bearing interposed between the housing portion and the crank shaft and supporting the latter from the housing portion, a flange permanently united with the crank shaft and'disposed on one side of the housing portion and said crank shaft having a crank throw on the other side of the housing portion, said crank throw being of a size substantially greater than the diameter of said flange, a ring gear on the ange of a diameter less than the path described by said crank throw, a second housing portion engaged with the rst mentioned housing portion and forming therewith a closure for the flange and gear, and pinion means in the closure housing engaging the ring gear for actuating the crank shaft.

5. In a driving gear for a baler having a baling chamber, and a plunger slidable in the chamber, an apertured housing portion carried on one side of the baling chamber, a driving shaft supported for rotation in said housing portion, a driving gear on said shaft, a crank shaft having a throw portion, an integral journal and an integral driving flange spaced from the throw portion by the journal, separable bearing means engaged about said journal portion and adapted to be received in the aperture of said housing portion, a ring gear separate from said ange and fixed thereon in driven relation with said driving gear, a second housing portion fixed with the first mentioned housing portion and enclosing said gears, and a pitman connected with said throw portion, said pitman being connected in driving relation with said plunger.

6. In a driving gear for a baler having a baling chamber and a plunger slidable therein, a driving shaft and a driven shaft, a crank throw on the driven shaft connected for sliding the plunger, a gear on said driving shaft, said driven shaft being enlarged to form a ange and provided with a journal portion adjacent said flange and integral therewith and serving to space said flange from said crank throw, a ring gear separate from said ange and xed therewith in driving relation with the first mentioned gear, and separable bearing means engaged with said journal portion in supporting relation therewith.

STANLEY D. RUSSELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record :in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

